Pages

Sunday, 13 August 2017

Alli On Shelvey Incident: No Need To React

Dele Alli says he intends to keep his emotions in check, after he was involved in an altercation with Jonjo Shelvey in the 2-0 win against Newcastle.

Shelvey who captained the magpies was sent off shortly after the second half for trampling on Alli.

The England international who scored in the 2-0 win says it was important to not react and keep the team going.

“I’ve had a few talks with the gaffer [Mauricio Pochettino] and a couple of people,” Alli said. “I’ve been caught out a couple of times with my temper.

“It’s something I like to keep in my game and it was a game today when we had to keep our cool. There was no need to react today.

“We didn’t want to get too heated up and get pulled into what they wanted us to and make it more of a physical battle than a game of football.”

“We knew it was going to be a physical game today,” Alli added. “They didn’t make it easy for us and it’s a difficult place to come.
“We knew if we stuck to the game plan then the chances would come. They did and we put them away.
“[Shelvey’s red card] happens sometimes in football. He’s a great player and I’m sure he’s going to be disappointed.

“It was important that we stayed professional and just did what we knew we had to do. We kept the ball moving, which was difficult at times, but I don’t want to talk about it too much.”